The Field Trip
by Kitsuna Ri
Summary: Hardenshipping. Domestic Fluff AU. Archie and Maxie are two single dads volunteering for a weekend trip to Mt. Chimney. It's been a long time since Maxie has been with anyone and upon meeting Archie, he finds himself fighting strong feelings for the other man. Will he be able to survive the weekend as a responsible chaperon or will he find himself struggling to keep things G-rated?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: So I fell into this ship real fast. Like didn't even realize til it was too late. I figured ok, let's just go all the way in and write fanfiction. I was going to do something a little more true to the main storyline but then I kept seeing people like "omg domestic fluff" "dumb dads au" and was like eh... and when I went to a plot generator it was also like 'yeah you gotta do the dad thing' so I did the thing. I also wrote this between the hours of 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. even though I had work this morning. So enough of my rambling. I apologize for any OOCness, this is an AU though. Also, I don't know 100% of where this story is going so bear with me if the warnings change!

Chapter one is so nsfw at the end, btw.

Chapter 1: In which Mt. Chimney isn't the only hot thing around here

Maxie loved his daughter very much; he wanted only the best for her but detested that that meant attending school functions. Even though it was on a volunteer basis, meaning it was his choice, the thought of being around the other parents, especially the single mothers, was jarring on his nerves. Yet, with only a slight grumble, he participated out of devotion to his dear May.

"At least this fieldtrip will be an enjoyable one, compared to the Lilycove beach fiasco," he muttered as he walked with the young girl to her school.

May giggled, remembering her poor father suffering through intense sunburns and uncomfortable sand. Sure, it had put him in a mood for a few weeks, but it was still funny.

"But you did learn a lesson papa, you require SPF 250, at least," she grinned up at him.

"I do not understand where you've picked up this smartassery," he patted her head affectionately, a small smile on his face.

"May!" a young boy's voice called out from the school's parking lot.

The young girl waved her arms emphatically towards him, "Brendan!" and ran over to him.

The two talked to each other excitedly. Maxie had never seen the boy before but was not surprised his daughter would be one to quickly befriend anyone new. He nearly jumped when a sudden, gruff laughter erupted behind him.

"Is that yer girlfriend you've been rattlin' on about Brendan?"

Maxie looked back to see a large, muscular man walk up beside him, watching the two kids. He was dark skinned with a rather impressive beard donning his face. It was almost enough to keep attention from the odd 'x' shape on his face, similar to that of a Sharpedo.

"Dad! She's not my girlfriend!" young Brendan exclaimed, his face turning red.

"Yeah, sure bud! Whatever you say!" the other man laughed and looked over to Maxie, "That yer girl over there?"

Maxie blinked a few times, distracted by the man as a whole, "Oh, yes. I'm May's father, Maxie."

He stuck his hand out as a greeting towards the other man and regretted it when the larger, tanned hand grasped his smaller, pale hand.

"Th' names Archie! Good ta meet ya! Guess yer my chaperone partner, eh?"

The red head rubbed his now sore hand and nodded, "Yes, so it seems."

Archie grinned at him and Maxie felt his stomach flutter like a whirlwind of Vivillon had taken flight. This man was very attractive.

It had been quite some time since Maxie had been in a relationship. Before May had come into his life, he spent most of his time doing research and holed up either at home or in an office. Finding May that one fateful day had changed nearly everything except that he was still single. Not that he had ever minded, taking up with someone seemed troublesome and raising a daughter was enough on his plate. So he had ignored the advances of other single parents, content to keep his family the way it was. That was why he felt so lost when this man, who he'd known for approximately 30 seconds, had all but stolen his breath.

He turned away the moment he felt his cheeks warm up. Another downside to being so pale, besides the ease of being sunburnt, was how easily embarrassment showed on his face.

"I, uh, am going to speak with Mrs. Pine," he muttered, walking away from Archie.

Hopefully a little bit of separation would calm him. This had to be some weird, adverse reaction to seeing someone new. Sure, it had never happened before, but there was a first time for everything. This was nothing to do with how attractive Archie was, that would be foolish. Maxie just didn't react like that.

It wasn't hard to keep his attention on other things. The rest of the students began to show up and Mrs. Pine, the homeroom teacher, was rushing to get everyone ready and loaded on the busses so this field trip could start. Maxie helped usher students on to bus and make sure the other parents had copies of itineraries and contacts of the hotel the group would be staying at during their visit to Mt. Chimney. Once the parents left, it dawned on Maxie that the only other chaperone, besides Mrs. Pine and himself, would be Archie.

But that was no big deal, Maxie thought to himself, they would be busy taking care of a handful of children. Certainly not enough time to stare at the other man and admire his very attractive features like his well built arms and chest or his-

"Dad? How did your face get so sunburned all of a sudden?"

Shit! Maxie shook his head, trying to will the redness out of his face.

"What? No, I'm fine! Why aren't you on the bus, May?"

"I'm waiting for Brendan, he's my buddy for this trip."

As if on cue, Brendan and his father came bumbling forward.

"Everyone ready?" Archie said excitedly, grinning at the kids and Maxie.

They ushered their children onto the bus and followed after them. And because fate seemed to be mocking Maxie, the two grown men took the last seat on the bus, together.

"Guess we'll really get to know each other for the next two hours, eh Maxie?" Archie chuckled, nudging the red head.

"Indeed," Maxie swallowed, sending a prayer to Arceus that this would not end poorly.

It did not, as luck would have it. In fact, into the first hour, the two managed to carry a fairly pleasant conversation. Mostly about their children, of course.

"So where did you move from?"

"Lilycove! It was hard to leave the beach side, but Mauville has better job opportunities and I figured it'd be better for Brendan."

Though he didn't see a ring on Archie's finger, Maxie had to ask; "How did your wife feel the same?"

Archie let out a loud laugh, "Don't have a wife to state her opinion! Just me an' Brendan livin' it up, bachelor style."

Maxie nodded, but felt as though a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders and he felt even more at ease around Archie.

"What about you, Max? You got a missus around?"

Maxie pushed up his glasses, smiling faintly, "Oh no. I suppose I'm more married to research than anything else."

"But you still make time to take part in yer girl's school stuff? That's admirable."

He chuckled, "May thinks it's more me being overprotective, unfortunately."

Glancing back, he spotted May and Brendan near the back, flipping through a book about Pokemon, still talking as animatedly as they had been earlier that morning.

"She seems to have taken a real liking to Brendan," he commented.

"Heh, Brendan's the same. She was apparently the first one to show him around when he got her and he's stuck around her ever since."

Maxie smiled fondly; he regretted many things in his life, but not taking in May and raising her as his own. She taught him new things every day and he was constantly astounded by her generosity and attitude. He sighed contentedly and leaned back in the seat, eyes closing.

He hadn't meant to fall asleep, he especially hadn't meant to fall asleep on the man he had been sitting next to. But that was how he awoke, an hour later, with a crick in his neck and his head on Archie's shoulder. Color drained from his face and he shot up, mortified by his actions.

"I am so sorry," he said quickly, looking to Archie who looked more amused than annoyed.

"Haha, don't be that way, Maxie! I ain't gonna get mad at a man for being tired. Not like yer head had much room on these forsaken, tiny bus seats."

Even with Archie's forgiving and jovial attitude, Maxie still felt embarrassed by his stunt. How obvious was he going to be that he was completely attracted to him? Still, he tried to shrug it off, somehow.

Clearing his throat he looked out the windows. The sky had grown darker and in the distance, the familiar gray haze signified they were close to approaching Mt. Chimney. Thank Arceus.

Between Mrs. Pine, Archie and himself, they managed to wrangle the two busses worth of kids into the lodge they would all be staying at for the weekend. Rooms were assigned and everyone was instructed to go unpack their things and rest for an hour before they would reconvene in the lobby.

"Alright boys," Mrs. Pine said sweetly to Archie and Maxie, "You two will be taking care of the boy's floor and I'll handle the girl's. You're in room 202!"

She handed them a single room key and dread filled Maxie. They would be sharing a room. Just the two of them. Of course. It hadn't dawned on him that this would happen. But why wouldn't it? It wouldn't make sense for the school to pay for another room when they could just pair them up.

He considered asking how much he would need to pay in order to get his own room but the plump, older woman was already making her way to the first floor of rooms. Nervously, he followed Archie up to their room.

"Ah man, this is nice!" Archie proclaimed as they walked in.

Maxie breathed in a sigh of relief when he noticed two beds. He had almost expected just one with the way things had been going already.

Without asking, Archie took claim of one of the beds by flopping down, causing the springs to groan in protest.

"Careful, you'll break the bed flopping around like that."

"Heh, I've only broken one bed and it was from way more movement than that," Archie said, winking towards Maxie.

Sweet Arceus, Maxie could have sworn he felt his knees go weak at that comment. And the images that flashed through his head were beyond X-rated. He had to have a seat.

Two nights would now seem like an eternity that Maxie wasn't sure he could survive.

Archie, meanwhile, seemed to either not notice or completely ignore the reaction he'd had on the red head. Instead, he got up and looked at the view.

"Despite all the gray and falling ash, this place is pretty nice. The kids'll have a blast here, I'm sure."

"Ah, yes," Maxie managed, still recovering, "it will be extremely educational."

"Heh, I was picturing more of the kids rolling around in the ash and gettin' into a mess 'o trouble."

"Why am I not surprised?" Maxie mused, smiling slightly before standing up smoothing his shirt, "I suppose it's time to get them down into the lobby so they can start today's activities."

Archie nodded and followed him down the hall as they gathered the boys and led them down. They lobby was filled with tables and sack lunches and the kids excitedly filled the chairs, ready to eat their food. Mrs. Pine clapped her hands a few times to quiet everyone down so she could speak.

"Alright everyone, after you eat, we'll be visited by Ranger Thompson who will tell you all the rules about Mt. Chimney and what we'll be doing tomorrow when we have our tour. Then, May's father, Mr. Matsubusa, is going to teach us about volcanoes and the geology around them! You'll use this information to complete your work sheets during your walks tomorrow, so be sure to pay attention!"

Archie glanced at Maxie, a sly smile on his face, "Oh, so Mr. Matsubusa is going to be our teacher this weekend, eh?"

"Well, I, uh, I am a geologist so Mrs. Pine figured I could help the children understand what they're looking at tomorrow."

"Oh, a scientist. How alluring," Maxie swore Archie practically purred at the last part. He felt his cheeks heating up again.

How was it this man had such an effect on him?

The kids finished eating and listened patiently through both the Ranger's instructions and Maxie's lecture. Maxie had been sure to run the lecture by May, not wanting to bore her friends and classmates while actually still teaching them something. And while he so not trying to notice, he could almost feel Archie's eyes watching him with interest. After gathering up the samples he'd passed around for the kids, he let Mrs. Pine take back over. He sat next to Archie trying to ignore him as he resorted his rock samples, but he swore the other man moved closer to him.

"So should I be referring to you as Dr. Matsubusa or am I worthy enough to still call you Maxie?"

"I have a feeling you'd call me whatever you wanted to, despite my preference."

"Well," Archie cocked his head to the side, smirking at the red head, "I am pretty good at doing and getting what I want."

Maxie looked up at him, their eyes meeting in almost a challenge. Something warm filled his stomach and he felt a rare bout of confidence take over. He leaned closer to the other man,

"Oh really?" he inquired, "And what exactly do you w-"

"Hey dad! Can I see the uhm, what was the lava rock called again?"

Nothing ruined the moment quicker than a child. He pulled back, and looked towards May, both grateful and annoyed by her interruption.

"You mean the igneous volcanic rock, dear?"

"Yes! Can I see it again?"

"What for?"

"Would you believe me if I just said 'for science'?"

"Not at all."

"Drat," she muttered and ran back over to Brendan and a couple of other kids.

Maxie shook his head as he watched her go off. Strange child. He stood and gathered his materials.

"I'm going to head back to the room and put these up. Think you can keep an eye on this crowd without allowing any trouble to commence?"

"No promises," Archie said, bemused.

"I've only known you for a few hours and yet I'm not surprised."

The rest of the evening was uneventful. The kids played around the lodge, many wandering outside to get covered in ash, much to Mrs. Pine's dismay, and by dinner, became low energy. They ashen covered children were ushered to the lodge's bathhouse for quick baths and then up to bed. Once everyone was in their rooms, the adults were free to do as they please. Mrs. Pine bid the two single fathers a good night, clearly worn out by the day and left the two men alone.

"Shame this place doesn't have a bar," Archie remarked, "I could definitely use a drink after corralling those kids!"

Maxie chuckled, sitting on one of the lobby's couches, "If you think this was bad, just wait until tomorrow when they're given even more free range. You'll question your sanity behind volunteering."

Archie flopped next to him, causing the couch to bounce the red head up slightly.

"And you go on every single one of these trips?"

Maxie nodded, "For the most part. I think next year I'll officially resign from any further beach trips, though. I'm sure I'll end up with skin cancer if I try to spend another day at the beach."

Archie laughed, "Yeah you seem the type to turn more red than tanned with too much sun."

Something about Archie's laugh was so comforting. Usually such a loud, barking sound would grate Maxie's nerves, yet each time he'd heard it today, it made him feel at ease. There was no doubt that there was something special about Archie, but it was unsettling how fast it was affecting Maxie. Perhaps he had been so lonely without someone that it caused this little crush to hit him hard. But he wasn't sure what to do from here. Acting on it seemed foolish and careless, not to mention ill timed considering they were on a school field trip as guardians. This wasn't some lovers retreat and it would be inappropriate to do anything anyway.

Still...

He glanced at Archie who prattling on about something or another. The man was gorgeous, totally his type. It was almost forgivable that he was feeling this way, right?

"So, should we head on up?"

Maxie blinked, escaping his thoughts and trying to register what Archie had just said to him.

"Head on up?" he asked, sounding almost dazed.

"Up to bed! We've got a long day tomorrow, eh?"

"Oh! Yes, yes of course. We'll have to be up by at least 7 a.m. sharp!"

Archie grimaced, "Ugh, so early? What's wrong with doing a midday hike instead of a early one? For Arceaus' sake," he muttered unpleasantly.

"You know what they say, the early Pidgey catches the Wurmple. Besides, it will get far too warm in the middle of the day. We don't need the kids passing out from heat stroke inside a volcano."

"Fair point," Archie remarked, getting up from the couch.

He held his hand out to Maxie, who took it gingerly, praying he wouldn't have a crunched hand again. Surprisingly, Archie was gentle this time and pulled the other man up with little effort. Then again, Maxie probably weighed nothing compared to Archie. He followed the dark haired man up to their room, exhaustion finally settling in.

What should have happened, was Maxie falling into bed, falling asleep instantly. What actually happened was him staring at Archie as the other man stripped his clothes off without any regards.

"Hope ya don't mind, I prefer sleepin' in the nude. It just so warm around here!"

Those abs, those legs, that ass! Maxie was certain he'd pass out, had it not been for the rush of panic he felt when his blood started flowing down between his legs.

"I'm just going to ah, shower and change then go to bed. Goodnight!" he said frantically as he disappeared into the bathroom, heart racing in his chest.

How utterly humiliating this situation was. He wasn't even sure cold water would fix this situation. But what would was so inappropriate! So wrong! And so very dangerous. What if Archie heard him? What if he had seen the problem he had caused and knew what he was having to do?

The erection between his legs throbbed painfully. Thinking about Archie was not helping matters, just making them agonizingly worse.

Quickly, he turned the shower on and stripped. He would take care of this hastily and quietly, he thought as he stepped into the warm water. Tentatively, he reached down, grasping the aching member. How long had it been since someone had turned him on like this? He closed his eyes and could only see Archie, in all his glory from moments ago. The way his dark skin looked so smooth and yet rough, and his body was so tight and built. Maxie could just imagine how good it would feel to run his hands along those hard abs. He stroked himself and had to bite down on his knuckles, keeping back his moans. He stroked faster as his mind's eye moved down Archie's body. He had seen it, he had seen where the dark trail of hair led to from Archie's belly button down to his groin. He gasped as his cock ached from the image and the thought of how good it would feel to-

"You ok in there, Maxie? Thought I heard ya gasp."

Fuck.

"Y-Yeah," he managed pathetically, "just almost slipped, I'm fine."

That was probably believable. Or he prayed it would be.

"Alright, be careful then."

"S-Sure!"

He leaned against the wall of the shower, his heart was thumping violently against his chest. He needed to finish this now, but could he do it without any other sounds?

His cock twitched; he'd have to try, regardless.

Closing his eyes, he tried again. One hand on his dick, the other in between his teeth. The water was turning cold, which he could only hope would assist him. He stroked himself, thoughts back onto the handsome, gruff man outside the bathroom. To his well built body, his rugged yet gentle face. His back and shoulders tensed and with a few more strokes, he came. Relieved and ashamed of himself.

"Sweet Arceus," he muttered as he washed up, "I'm like an overly hormonal teenager."

The water became cold and he finished cleaning himself. When he was finally dry and changed, he walked back out to the room and was grateful to find Archie sound asleep in his bed. At least there were some small miracles.

Shutting off the lights, Maxie crawled into his bed, setting his glasses on the side table and made sure he was turned the other way. He would not chance another issue by staring at the other man. Luckily, he fell asleep almost instantly.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: This chapter was hard to write. I had a hard time writing as Archie soooo I did what I could! Nothing too dirty this time, just dirty thoughts!

Chapter Two: Big Guys are Big Softies

Archie was the first one awake, much to his dismay. He sat up, after violently shutting off the alarm, and stretched, looking around so he could get his bearings. The sun was starting to rise, not that you could see it well through the grayness of Mt. Chimney, but the sky was definitely looking lighter. It was nearly 7 a.m., which meant they were probably behind on getting up. He looked over to see Maxie was sleeping soundly in the other bed, his bright red hair tousled around him and the blankets gathered up like a cocoon.

He had been pleasantly surprised when he'd met the other man. Honestly, when he offered to volunteer for this trip, he'd expected it'd be one of the kids' mom and he'd be stuck even more bored out of his mind. Sure, Maxie had been a little stiff when they first met, not even able to look him in the eye for very long, but Archie liked to think he'd grown on the red haired scientist. Especially when the other did things like fall asleep on him on the way up here. Archie had watched him, admiring his once stern features look so soft and at ease as he had slumbered. It had honestly been a bit of a challenge to keep his hands to himself, and had they not been on a bus full of kids, he wasn't sure he would have. That probably explained why he'd been so forward when he found out they would be sharing a room. Normally one for playful flirting, he had surprised himself when he'd flat out stripped in front of the other. Sure, he wasn't the type to be prude, but he was usually only that way when he was around his friends. But, he had a feeling Maxie hadn't minded, even if he did disappear in a fluster. Archie smirked to himself, and looked back over at the still slumbering Maxie.

It would be a shame to have to wake him up, but it also seemed like a fun idea. Various ideas went through his head as to how he should do it, but part of him knew he had to behave. Quietly, Archie got out of bed, pulling on a pair of sweatpants and grabbing one of the pokeballs he'd brought with him.

"Mightyena," he whispered as he dropped the ball to the ground, releasing the gray colored Pokemon.

Eagerly, his Mightyena looked around, tongue hanging out and tail wagging. Typically, this is how Archie would awaken Brendan on mornings when the young boy had trouble waking up. Now, poor Maxie would have to suffer the consequence of Archie being the first one up.

"Get 'im girl," he said gleefully.

What came next was a series of screeches and a thump as the red head fell to the ground, trying to protect his face and hair from an over excited Pokemon.

"What in Arceus' name?!"

"Good mornin' Maxie!"

Archie looked down at the severely disheveled man and grinned. He was met with a less pleasant expression.

"There are cleaner ways to go about waking one up," the red haired man said sourly.

"Yeah, but this was funny. It's 6:50 by the way."

Maxie scrambled off the floor and looked over to the alarm clock on the side table, as if checking to make sure Archie wasn't screwing with him. Alas, he was not. The next ten minutes were a mad rush as the two went through normal morning routines as fast as possible before hitting the hall and knocking on all the doors, hoping there weren't any kids straggling behind like themselves.

Downstairs, the school group was eating a warm breakfast, slowly waking up and gaining their energy. The smell of food wafted towards Archie and his stomach growled. Hopefully they still had enough time to eat. He wasn't sure he'd make it up a small hill, let alone a mountain, without a proper meal.

"Dad!" Brendan's voice came from beside him, followed by a pair of arms around his waist.

Archie grinned and ruffled the young boy's hair, "Mornin' kiddo. Ya eat up?"

"Yup! The food is really good but you better eat fast. They were almost outta stuff when we all went back for thirds!"

He gave Brendan a mocked scandalized look, "Thirds? Who told you could have more than one serving? Well, guess that'll be all yer food for the entire day!"

Brendan rolled his eyes, "Dad…"

Archie laughed and nudged the boy back towards his friends, having teased him enough. He smiled fondly at the boy as he ran back over to his new friends. It had been a huge change to Archie's lifestyle when Brendan came around. He had never thought he'd be parent material but knew that he had to step up and care for the boy after his sister passed. One day, he'd tell him the truth that he was actually his uncle, not his father, but for now he raised him as his own. And he couldn't be more proud.

"We should hit up the buffet Maxie," he said loudly, draping his arm over the surprised, slender red head, "You look like you could pass out before we even make it out the door!"  
Maxie ducked out from Archie's embrace, straightening his red turtleneck. How he could wear something so warm in this place was beyond Archie.

"Your concern is….touching, Archie," the scientist muttered before walking towards the dining room where the food was set up.

Archie stayed back, grinning as he watched the bony backside of the other walk ahead of him. He knew who would be volunteering to take up the rear of the group today. Chuckling to himself, he headed to partake of breakfast.

Around 7:45, everyone was happily fed and buzzing with energy. The kids tittered around with excitement, a few arguing over who was whose buddy until Mrs. Pine quieted the group down.

"Alright everyone! I know we're all very eager to get started so we're going to review the rules and then split up into our groups. Group one will be with Ranger Thompson and myself, while group two will be with Mr. Matsubusa and Mr. Aogiri. All four of us will have walky-talkies so we can make sure everything goes smoothly. If there are any emergencies, make sure you let one of the adults know. Remember to stay with your buddy and no wandering off!"

Ranger Thompson went through his full safety spiel one more time before the kids were split up. His and Maxie's group filed in line, the first two in line being May and Brendan, actually excited to follow their dads around for the day. Archie noted he would definitely miss this when Brendan becomes a teenager.

He set up his radio and clipped it onto his belt, looking to Maxie eagerly.

"Alright everyone, it looks like we'll be taking path B. Along the way I'll be providing you with essential information about the geology all around you. We'll take a break right before we go into the volcano itself, and it is crucial you stay beside your buddy and near myself and Arc-Mr. Aogiri. Understand?"

The kids, and even Archie, nodded. With that, they set off.

As planned, Archie took up the rear, making sure the kids stayed in line and enjoyed his view. He even managed to listen partly to Maxie's nerd talk. The other man was so passionate when he talked about the earth beneath them and the rocks that littered the ground. What a nerd. What a cute nerd. Archie had never thought it could be impressive but listening to Maxie speak made him interested. Granted, Maxie probably could have been talking about anything, and he'd have Archie's attention. Especially if he wasn't wearing any—

No. No. He was going to keep his mind clean today. For the children.

After the first hour of walking, Archie was finally becoming bored. The view was great and all (and he wasn't referring to the natural scenery), and he enjoyed hearing Maxie talk so much, but he was getting tired of the hike and of constantly brushing ash out of his hair. His hands were dusty with the gray ash, and he was pretty sure he had some in his shoes.

"Mr. Matsubusa," he whined, "can we take a break?"

Maxie glanced back toward him, eyebrow raised in either annoyance or amusement. He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but then closed it, as if thinking better of it. A few of the kids started to chime in with complaints and Archie beamed at the scientist, proud of what he'd started.

"Very well. There is a rest area just up this next part, we can take a break there."

He gave Archie a look and then turned back around, continuing his lecture until they made it to the rest area.

The kids flopped on the ground while the two adults occupied the bench that was set up against the wall of the volcano. The stone exuded warmth and Archie wanted nothing more than to strip off his shirt for a bit of relief. Why couldn't they have gone to a beach or something? He looked over to Maxie who looked content, almost like a cat, against the warmth. His eyes were closed and he looked at peace. Archie sighed softly to himself, staring at the other. Maxie's lips were slightly parted as he breathed, and Archie fixated on the pale pink skin. It would be so easy to lean over and capture those lips with his own. To slide his tongue across the soft pair and—

"Dad why are you making that weird face at Mr. Matsubusa?"

Oh, dear Brendan. He could always be counted on to completely shatter any cool Archie thought he might have.

Maxie's eyes fluttered open, looking over at Archie expectantly, clearly interested in what answer he would come up with.

Archie reached over and grabbed Brendan, pulling him into a noggie.

"Oh you kidder, you! You shouldn't mess with old men, makin' fun of their faces like that!"

The scientist next to him snorted, clearly bemused at the transparent cover up, while Brendan fought his dad's strong grip.

"Daaaaad!" Brendan wiggled out from his dad's hold and walked back over to May, trying to repair his hair.

"Heh, kids! Right?" Archie looked over at Maxie.

"Oh yes, they say the darndest things, don't they?" Maxie responded, his mouth turning up into a small smirk.

God he looked good smirking, so in control and cool, so damn smug. Archie could think of a few things that would wipe that smirk right off his pale face.

"Ya know Maxie," he started, leaning in slightly, "If yer—"

A grating, static sound came from the radio on Maxie's belt, startling the two men.

"Team B? How are things looking?" came Mrs. Pine's voice.

Archie sighed. Life was filled with too many interruptions. He leaned back while Maxie took charge of responding and updating the teacher on their group's status. He kept an eye on their group, watching as they threw ash at each other, made ash angels and drew in the gray mess. He probably should have stopped them from getting so messy but he knew they were having fun. A few looked like they wanted to go bother a wild Geodude but Archie sent them a look, putting a hand on his pokeball belt, in case he needed to intervene. But they lost interest when someone hit them with a puff of ash. He sighed and sat back, relieved.

Sometimes he really surprised himself how domesticated he had truly become. Before Brendan, he'd been quite the thug. Using his size and strength to his advantage. He still had his carefree attitude but he was always sure to do what he wanted, even if there were obstacles trying to keep him back. He had sailed the seas with wild abandonment, risking life and limb, for the sheer thrill of adventure. But the minute he had held Brendan, after it had sunk in his own sister was gone and left him with this responsibility, he made the abrupt shift. He knew they needed to leave Lillycove, but it had taken time to get the funds and work squared away. When it had finally happened, that was when he knew his life could finally turn around and he could be a proper parent. That was why he thought volunteering for this trip had been a good idea.

"…dy to go?"

Archie looked up at Maxie, blinking, coming out of his thoughts.

"What?"  
"Are you ready to go? We need to make our way into the volcano."

"Yup!" he hopped up from the bench, "Last one there gets pushed in!"

"ARCHIE!"

The kids squealed with laughter, quickly lining up while Maxie rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Honestly," the red head muttered.

Archie just laughed, bringing up the rear of the line, very pleased with himself.

Yes, this had definitely been a good idea.

The kids had never been as quiet as when they stepped on the metal railing that put them directly over the heart of the volcano. The heat radiated everywhere, causing a few beads of sweat to roll down Archie's dark face. He was grateful for his bandana, but he'd be even more grateful if they got out of here soon.

He observed as many of the kids gripped tight to their buddy's hand, not daring to get near the railing. Now he saw why his joke may have been a bit over the top. May and Brendan stood closely to Maxie who smiled fondly down at them.

"Don't worry everyone, we are perfectly safe here on the observation deck," he patted the top of May's head gently, soothing the girl even though she had on a brave face.

Archie wanted to be over by them, if only to keep Brendan calm, but there were plenty of kids near him who were starting to shake in fear.

He looked up at Maxie, urging him to keep talking to them. The last thing they needed was a hysterical batch of school kids.

Maxie nodded and began talking to the group about the formation of magma and volcanos, hoping science would ease them. For Archie, he was just glad to hear Maxie's voice sounding so calm and level, putting him at ease at least.

"Does anyone have any questions?" Maxie inquired to the group.

One kid raised her hand, her brown eyes filled with fear, "C-Can we go, Mr. Matsubusa?"

The scientist's face softened, "Of course Melanie. We're all done here for today."

There was an audible sigh of relief from the kids as they turned to leave, this time Archie leading the line. He glanced back as they exited to the main route and saw the sad look on Maxie's face as he said farewell the magnificence of earth around him. He was probably disappointed nobody else could appreciate it with him. Archie wanted to say something, something to connect with the scientist but the truth was, he felt just as uncomfortable as the children. They filed out and made their way down the mountain.

Surprisingly, they made decent time and were nearly halfway down before the kids begged for another break. Archie sat down beside Maxie who was starting to look worn.

"So how many times have ya been up here?"

Maxie glanced at him, "Oh, countless. But each time is as impressive as the last. There's always something new to look at, to discover and watch."

"Oh yeah? Must take special attention to notice all that," he laughed, "I thought everything looked the same, 'cept for the magma."

Thin lips curled into a smile, "Well to the untrained eye. But we discovered so many things here back in the day. The best was when we found the cave that led us right up to the magma pool. We were able to see it just mere inches from our faces. Though my assistant, Tabitha, did lose his eyebrows that way."

He looked around the area and then pointed, "Actually, it should just be around that ledge over there."

"I'd say it's a shame we can go check it out, but I think it'd turn me into a giant Skitty if we got that close to fuckin' magma."

"Really? Mister big and buff would be afraid of a bit of heat?"

Archie leaned forward, "Well I wouldn't say-"

"Mr. Aogiri, Mr. Matsubusa! Brendan and May went over that ledge and haven't come back!"

Maxie shot up, "Over where, Jacob?"

The small boy pointed to the area Maxie had just been talking about with Archie. The color drained from the red heads face and he rushed over there. Archie got up, planning to follow but realized the rest of the kids couldn't be left alone. He gritted his teeth but then grabbed his pokeballs.

"Alright kids, yer all stayin' here while Mr. Matsubusa and I make sure Brendan and May are alright. Mightyena and Crobat are going to keep an eye on ya so don't go anywhere! Understood?"

He released the two Pokemon and instructed them. The kids grouped together, circled by the two Pokemon.  
"Don't worry everyone. They're gentle, they're just gonna make sure nothin' happens while I'm gone, ok? Just stay here."

He leapt over the ledge and saw Maxie go into the cave he'd been speaking about earlier. His stomach twisted. Nothing good was going to come from this. But he had to make sure Brendan was ok, he had to make sure nothing bad happened. He trailed after the scientist.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: *laughs* No but seriously, quick shout out to all the super sweet comments I've received both here, AO3 and tumblr. Y'all are awesome and I read all of your comments, even if I don't respond. I also read your tags on tumblr. Without such great support, this story probably wouldn't have made it past chapter one..like most of my fanfics. Love from y'all is writing fuel for me! Right now, the story is looking like it'll be about 5 chapters total, but I'm debating on a prologue or not so, we'll see!

Also, don't question my Pokemon move choices. It's all done for plot.

Chapter three

To say things had gone from bad to worse would be a total understatement. Things were a catastrophe, at best.

He had found Brendan and May easy enough in the cave, they hadn't been able to get far before a wild Geodude had stopped them in their tracks. They sat, huddled together, too scared to run, but unharmed.

"May! Brendan!" he called out, running to their aid.

"Daddy!" May cried, tears brimming in her eyes.

He hugged her tightly. She was safe, she was ok. Part of him wanted to shout at her, ask her what she had been thinking wandering off and hadn't he taught her better than that, but the relief of being able to hug her and see her in one piece was enough. Reluctantly he let her go, looking at her sternly.

"Get back, ok?" he pulled her and Brendan behind him and stood between them and the Geodude.

His hand rested on the great ball that held his Camerupt, ready to unleash the Pokemon if the wild Geodude opted to attack. At first, it seemed like he was deterred. But as soon as Maxie started to drop his guard, he was pelted with a large rock.

He stumbled backward, gripping the wall for support.

"Run," he said to May and Brendan, "get to the exit now."

"But daddy…"

"NOW, MAY!" Maxie raised his voice but looked at the two children with fear in his eyes, hoping it would force their legs.

May stared at him, not wanting to leave her father but knew he was trying to help them. Hesitantly, she grabbed Brenden's arm and the two kids headed towards the exit as directed. Maxie threw the great ball.

"Camerupt!" he shouted as the Pokemon emerged from its ball, "Tackle!"

A basic move, but hopefully enough to throw the Geodude off. Any other move could compromise the tunnel, and he wouldn't risk it with the possibility of May and Brendan still inside.

Maxie's head ached and he could feel blood run down the side of his face. The rock had hit caught him, and he knew this head wound would cause complications. But for now, he was still conscious, that was enough to keep giving commands.

Camerupt charged at the Geodude, knocking it onto its back. Camerupt snorted, pleased with her result and moved back toward Maxie. He reached out and patted her head, one hand still keeping steady on the wall.

"Good job, girl. Keep him down until he runs away. Then we can get out of here."

The wild Pokemon wasn't deterred. It hoisted itself back up and used rock throw again. Camerupt did her best to protect Maxie, but a few pieces hit him, cutting his cheeks and cracking his glasses. Great. Now sight was an issue. He winced, his head aching further. Things seemed dire. If they tried to run, it would catch him in the back of the head, causing further injury. His fingers twitched nervously. What could he do?

"Maxie!" he heard the familiar voice of Archie, calling for him.

If Archie was here, then surely May and Brendan had made it out. They could just turn and run from the Geodude and get back out to the kids.

"I'm here, Archie," Maxie strained to shout. The pain in his head was becoming unbearable.

His Camerupt charged forward again, using more force against the wild Pokemon. Maxie hoped this would be the end of it, but the thing got back up. Such a stubborn creature.

He felt himself sway, his vision becoming blurry, but before he could fall back he felt a strong grip on his arms.

"Woah there, you ok Maxie?"

Archie, thank Arceus.

"Took a hit to the head, but otherwise dandy. Did May and Brendan make it out?" he struggled to stay tough.

The dark skinned man nodded, "Yeah, I gave them the radio to contact Mrs. Pine while heading back to the rest of the kids. I have my Mightyena and Crobat looking over the group. You wanna keep fighting this thing or are you ready to run?"

Maxie wasn't a hundred percent sure he could run, but he sure as hell would try. Between him and Archie, there was a chance the Geodude would hesitate to attack them, being outnumbered by three to one now. He nodded and Archie helped him steady. He held out his pokeball to call back Camerupt and as he did, the ground began to shake.

"Shit!" He cursed falling back against Archie as he lost footing.

"Is it the volcano?" Archie asked, panic rising in his voice.

"No, the stupid thing used Earthquake. We need to leave before the tunnel ends up collapsing on us!"

"Got it!"

In a swift movement, Archie had Maxie in his arms and started to run. It was a challenge as the ground rocked beneath them, but Archie seemed to stay focus and steady as possible as they made their way through the tunnel. Maxie spotted the light and felt relieved. Which is of course, when the entrance caved in.

Archie came to an abrupt halt, his grip on Maxie tightening.

"Shit, shit, shit what do we do now?"

Maxie breathed, trying to remain calm though the situation demanded otherwise. He looked behind them, pleased to see the Geodude had not followed them. That was one problem taken care of. But not nearly enough to put him at ease. What if May and Brendan get hurt on the way up the ledge? What if they can't get a hold of Mrs. Pine and they're stuck up there into the night? He felt his breathing quicken, panic settling in. He shook his head, he had to think rationally, think about how they could get out there. First things first, he needed to check the radio. His hand went to the equipment on his hip. To his dismay, it was dented in, most likely from the encounter with the Geodude. His head throbbed, each minute of concentration seemed to send a pulse of pain through him. But he had to focus. He looked to the caved in wall. It wasn't terrible, a Pokemon could break through. They just needed the right one.

"Ok, do you have any Pokemon left?" he asked Archie.

"I have my Sharpedo, the other two are with the kids."  
Maxie frowned. That definitely wouldn't be his top choice. But perhaps between Camerupt and Sharpedo they could get out, somehow.

"Alright, we'll have to see if they can pull out or break up some of the rocks blocking our way," he swayed at the last part of his sentence, stumbling.

Archie's hands grabbed him again, keeping him from hitting the ground.

"Are you going to be ok, Maxie?"

The dark skinned man looked at him in concern and finally took notice of the blood that had stuck to the side of Maxie's head and hair.

"Shit, Maxie! You didn't tell me that hit you took was this bad, yer still bleeding!"

Archie propped him up against a wall and untied the blue bandana that had been around his head all day. Maxie grimaced, knowing it was covered in sweat but grateful that Archie that thought to use it against the cut on his skull. Surprisingly, Archie was gentle, applying only a small bit of pressure so as not to cause Maxie any further discomfort.

"Archie, please," Maxie rested his hand atop Archie's, stopping him, "we must focus on getting out of here."

For a moment, it looked like Archie wanted to argue with him, but the other man knew he was right.

"Ok, fine. Then yer gonna sit here and take it easy while me and the Pokemon take care of our rock problem."

Maxie opened his mouth to protest but Archie held up his finger, "Nu-uh. You can't keep pushing yourself in your condition. Just sit tight and leave it to the muscle, alright?"

Sighing, Maxie nodded in agreement. He released Camerupt and gave her instructions.

"Ok, girl, help Archie take out these rocks in whatever way you can. Do you understand?"

The Pokemon nuzzled against him reassuringly, snorting against his head.

"Good girl," Maxie cooed and then motioned her to the entrance.

It was rough, trying to stay awake as well as watch Archie and the two Pokemon work through the rubble that had them trapped. He had to keep track of Camerupt, hoping she wouldn't use Earthquake or anything else to disturb the area around them, but she was smart and just worked at it with brute strength, occasionally trying fire based attacks to try and soften the barricade. But to no avail. Archie had removed his shirt and was working with Sharpedo to find the weaker points and either move them or destroy them.

He was like some sort of bronzed god, working his muscles, sweat glistening on his body. If their situation wasn't so dire at the moment, he had some ideas of what he'd rather be doing.

"Dear Arceus," he muttered, trying to get rid of such thoughts.

If ever there was not a time for such a thing, it most certainly was now.

His eyelids felt heavy, his head ached worse than it had been and he was pretty sure he was reaching a point of losing a bit too much blood.

Archie looked over to him, his face painted with concern.

"Ya still with me, Maxie?"

The red head's vision blurred as he looked up at the other man.

"For now," he said, pulling his head into his hands, "it's becoming harder to stay conscious. Is there any progress?"

Archie started talking but his voice sounded so far away, Maxie wasn't able to make out anything he could say. He felt the rough hands grasp his shoulders and shake him gently. Why was Archie doing that? Couldn't the brute see how tired he was? If he could just rest for a moment or two.

"...tay awake, Maxie, ya can do this."

Maxie begged to differ. He slumped against the wall, struggling to raise his head. He could not do this. His arm fell to the ground, his hand still clutching the blood soaked bandana. No, he couldn't do this. He just needed to close his eyes.

The last thing he saw before the world went black was Archie's deep blue eyes staring at him in horror.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Sorry for the cliffhanger yesterday! But I felt it was justified since I knew you'd get chapter four the next day, haha. Anyway, this is still another short chapter but I like to think quite a lot happens. And I promise, chapter five will be much longer and worth the wait. Thank you again for all the super sweet comments! You guys are so awesome! This is the first time I've actually finished a multi chapter fic in a long, long time! Enjoy!

Chapter Four: If You Come Up With Enough Ideas, One is Bound to be Good

Archie called out to Maxie until his voice felt raw and he was blue in the face. But nothing could rouse the other man passed out against the wall.

"Shit, shit, shit!" He roared, startling the two Pokemon who were still working on the caved in entrance.

He wasn't sure how much more of this he could take. He was worn out, his body aching, but he had to get them out of there. He wasn't sure what would happen if Maxie went any longer without medical attention. They hadn't even made a true dent in the wall and deep down, he knew they needed stronger Pokemon to really make progress.

It was hopeless, this was how he would die. The thought made him dizzy. If he couldn't get out of here, he'd leave Brendan alone, again. And this time he wouldn't have any more family to take him in. And what about his Pokemon? Shapedo would be trapped with him, while the other two would stay waiting, wondering when he was coming back. Despair filled him, this really was it.

His fist pounded the wall.

No. He would not allow himself to feel helpless. He wasn't the type to just lie down and let the inevitable happen. They would get out of this, somehow. He just need to think things through.

He knelt down next Maxie, looking him over. He was still breathing but blood was still running down the side of his face. Taking the bloodied bandana from Maxie's hand, he gently wrapped it around the other's head, hoping it would continue to apply the necessary pressure. Pausing, he caressed the man's face which had become at least three shades paler than normal.

"I'm gonna get ya outta here. And when I do, and yer totally healed and cool with it, I'm gonna do everything I thought about doing to ya today. Swear to it."

With that said, he pushed himself up and went back to the wall. The damage they had done was minimal, at best. Sharpedo and Camerupt charged the stone barricade, bringing only small chips down.

"Ok, this is definitely not working," he sighed, looking down at the weary Pokemon.

But what could he do? Sit around hope someone would get there in time and be able to free them? Even if the kids get Mrs. Pine and the rangers up here, they'll still take time to get a rescue planned. And it's not like they'd have any idea about Maxie's condition.

"Ugh," Archie ran his hands through his hair, frustrated.

There was a solution. He just needed to think. He had been in plenty of tight situations before, though he'd never had to worry about anyone's safety. If that stupid Geodude had just kept its cool and hadn't fuck them over...

He blinked.

The Geodude.

"That's it!" he exclaimed, "Sharpedo! Camerupt! Stop what yer doing!"  
The two Pokemon looked at him, confused, but stopped. They were both looking in rough shape, but if his idea was to work, he had to trust in his companion.

"Sharpedo, I'm gonna need a big favor from you buddy and if you help me out I'm gonna make Brendan and I make you so many pokeblocks and pokepuffs, you'll be in heaven."

The Sharpedo made a pleased sound and awaited his orders. But Archie wasn't quite ready yet. He looked around and spotted the bag that held all of Maxie's supplies. Thank Arceus the man had been carrying it when he ran in here. Rummaging he found the two items he was sure would be in there. A pokeball and a potion.

"I figured you'd be the prepared type, Maxie," he said as he picked up the items.

He walked towards the Camerupt who stepped back, clearly not trusting a man who just rummaged in his passed out trainer's things.

"Alright girl, yer gonna have to trust me, ok? Ya need to stay next to Maxie and make sure nothin' happens to him while we go run an errand. I know I'm not yer trainer, but please just listen to me."

Maxie's Camerupt eyed him suspiciously, looking to Maxie and back to Archie. She huffed, smoke erupting from the volcanic humps on her back. But she brushed past Archie, going to her trainer's side and laying next to him. Archie was pretty sure, that if she could talk, she'd tell him she'd been planning on caring for Maxie anyway. He smiled and turned to Sharpedo.

"Ready buddy? We're gonna get us a Geodude and make him clean his mess up."

As expected, it was much easier said than done. The Geodude was not where they had left it, then again that had been at least two hours ago. He had let Brendan carry his Pokenav so he had no idea if it was even anywhere near them anymore.

"Well doesn't this just fuckin' figure." He kicked the wall, annoyed at the situation, at his stupid plan and everything in general.

He kept walking down the tunnel though. There had to be some other wild Pokemon just waiting for him, surely. The further he went though, the more sluggish he felt. The heat was unbearable. He was probably getting close to the pool of lava like Maxie had told him about. Would there even be any Pokemon there? Should he just turn around and go back, defeated?

A nudge came from behind him. Sharpedo pushed against his trainer's back, as if encouraging him to move forward.

"Heh, yer right bud. We don't give up. We'll just keep movin' forward."

He took another step and a form fell from the top of the tunnel.

"Geo..."

Archie almost whooped with delight. The Geodude (ok maybe not the same one, but still), stood in front of him, ready to challenge the two.

"Alright Sharpedo, let's show him how we don't give up!"

The care that had to be taken for this battle was ridiculous. He needed Sharpedo to hold his own and take the Geodude down just enough so Archie could catch him. He only had one pokeball, one chance to catch the wild Pokemon.

It was so close, agonizingly so. Sharpedo was in rough shape, but so was the Geodude. It picked up a sizeable rock, ready to attack. Sharpedo wouldn't be able to withstand another hit. Archie acted quickly, pushing his companion out of the way, putting his arm in the way instead. He felt the shoulder dislocate and he hissed.

"That hurt like a bitch," he growled, rubbing at the injured arm, "if I didn't need you, you'd be gravel."

Sharpedo moved to his trainer, nudging him in a panicked state.

"'m alright boy, I just need you to finish the job but not finish him. Got it? Make sure he's still conscious. I believe in you," he rubbed the rough skin of Sharpedo's face, smiling at the Pokemon.

It was up to him now, all of his faith, "Sharpedo! Tackle!"

The pressure was so much, Archie closed his eyes before witnessing the attack hit. He took a few breaths, counted to three and slowly opened his eyes. The Geodude was still standing. There was only one thing left to do.

"Yer mine," he grinned and threw the Pokeball at the Geodude, watching as the light sucked the creature into the ball.

The next few seconds were agonizing. The ball shook once...twice...three times. Archie held his breath. Seconds moved slowly.

The ball glowed. He had done it.

He could have passed out right there, but no, there was still more to do. Picking up the pokeball, he called Sharpedo back so the Pokemon could rest.

"Ya did me proud, buddy. I owe you."

Though he was weary, his arm screaming in pain, he ran back. The next part was easy, he hoped.

Maxie was still unconscious, with Camerupt nuzzling him. But he looked near dead at this point. There was no telling if he was going to make it.

"Just hang in there a little longer Maxie, we're gettin' outta here."

He tossed the pokeball Geodude in it, releasing the weakened Pokemon. It looked at him with disdain. Archie held up his hands in peace.

"I swear, I'm gonna fix ya up and then I just need you to help me out, ok? After that you'll be treated like a king and I'll totally forget that you fucked up my shoulder. Swear it."

The Pokemon did not seem convinced, but Archie moved towards it slowly, holding the potion out that he had taken from Maxie's bag earlier.

"This is gonna make you feel a hundred times better, just trust me."

He got as close as possible so as not to completely perturb the Geodude, then sprayed the potion, misting the Pokemon in the healing solution. It worked quickly and the Geodude seemed to perk up, clearly feeling better. It looked at Archie with slightly less suspicion.

"See? Told ya I wasn't meanin' ya any more harm. But now you need to help us out," he gestured to the barricade, "please get us out. Please."

Archie was not one to plead with anyone or anything. But things were bad and he just wanted to get out. He wanted to get Maxie help, he wanted to see his son and he needed this stupid plan to work. Perhaps, the Pokemon sensed his desperation, because it moved towards the collapsed rubble. With grunt, it began beating through the fallen boulders, making way more progress than any of them had before.

While the Geodude handled the entry way, Archie worked on getting Maxie. He wasn't a doctor, or anything close, but he knew that he had to handle the red haired man with extreme care. Gingerly, he picked him up. Pain coursed through his own injured arm, but he could work through this. Just one more hurdle in today's events.

With Maxie secured in his arms, he watched Geodude punch through the barricade and natural light flooded the tunnel. But they weren't in the clear yet. He ushered Maxie's Camerupt out, trying to urge it to move faster, following behind while Geodude maintained stability in the opening until everyone was out. They stumbled into the open area, Archie wanting nothing more than to fall to his knees in relief. It had actually worked. He was a mess, Maxie was still bleeding, but they were out. He could cry he was so relieved.

"Dad!" he heard Brendan's voice and looked up.  
Rangers, Mrs. Pine, May and Brendan were all there. But it looked like they hadn't been there long. Brendan ran toward him, crashing into his side, covering his face like he did when he didn't want to cry and hugged Archie tight.

"Hey kiddo," Archie said tiredly, wishing he could scoop the young boy up into a hug.

May walked up to him, hesitantly, tears falling down her face. She looked at Maxie in his arms, the blood clearly causing her to panic.

"D-Daddy," she whimpered.

"It's gonna be ok sweetheart. We're gonna get yer dad fixed up and he'll be fine."

She sniffled, but nodded, believing his words and tried to put on a brave face. A few of the Rangers came over and began asking him a myriad of questions, all at once. What had happened, was anyone else trapped in there, what damage had Maxie taken, etc.

"Just get him to a medic, damnit!" he shouted, not wanting to deal with their protocol bull shit.

Everything that happened from that point on was a blur. Archie's adrenaline was gone, his body exhausted. He knew they took Maxie from his arms, radioing a helicopter. Mrs. Pine gathered May up who was a mess, begging to go with them. Brendan was still clinging to him and all Archie wanted to do was fall onto the ground. He scooped Brendan up with his good arm and did just that.

"I'm so sorry dad," Brendan whispered hugging the weary man.

"I know kiddo, it's all ok now. Don't worry." He rubbed the young boy's back, trying to soothe him.

It was all ok now. They were out, Maxie was hopefully on his way to a hospital somewhere, and even though his shoulder ached like a bitch, he was ok.

He closed his eyes, exhaustion hitting him like a ton of bricks.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I thought about doing it to where there'd be a prologue buuuut after the third night of being up until 4 a.m. (and getting up at 7 for work!) I opted to just tie it all together now. I hope you all enjoy it! Thank you all again SO MUCH! For your favorites, comments, likes, etc! I appreciate it all! Like, they filled me with rainbows and sunshine when I needed it most, so thank you! Um what else, oh yeah! I'm not brilliant at writing smut so if anything seems inaccurate or confusing, I do apologize.

OH! **There's a point of view switch in the middle, I tried to mark it with ***. So it goes Maxie first, then Archie. Just so there's no confusion!**

Warnings: Smutty, smut, smut.

The first thing Maxie noted when he came to was how cold he felt and then, how white everything was. His head ached, but all the dizziness and nausea he remembered feeling was gone. The sharp, sterile scent of the place hit him next. Wasn't hard to figure out where he was.

"Ok, hospital, but where and how long have I been here?" he muttered to himself.

He looked around to get his bearings. The side table was covered in cards and drawings, all from May, he presumed, as well as a bouquet of flowers. His eyes moved to the windows; no ash in the sky, he must have been brought to Mauville City's hospital.

Everything seemed to be clear and accounted for. He brought a hand up to where he'd been hit and felt the gauze that was wrapped around his head. He knew what had happened to him, but he was intrigued to find out how he had arrived here. Was Archie alright? Had he done something stupid to make sure Maxie got out alive? What if he was worse off? Would Archie have given his life just to get him out? Panic rose and he searched for a call button, wondering if any of the nurses or hospital staff knew what had happened.

Before he could press the button, the door to his room swung open.

"Well look at that, sleepin' beauty is finally joined the world of the livin'!"

Maxie's heart swelled with relief. Hearing Archie's voice felt so good. The other man was ok. Well, save for the sling he had around his arm.

"You're awake, daddy!" May exclaimed, running to his side.

"May," he said softly, moving over so the young girl could climb up onto the bed and hug him, "I'm so glad you're alright, dear."

"It's been two days since they brought you here, I was so scared you wouldn't wake up! But Archie said you'd be ok and he was right!"

He hugged her tightly and looked up at Archie.

"And you too. How...How did you manage?"

Archie grinned sitting down in the chair next to his bed, making himself comfortable.

"Oh you know, just a little bit of being awesome and kicking some serious as-butt!"

"Aw c'mon Archie, you have to tell dad what you did!" May exclaimed, "Dad, Archie was so cool! He was like, like a knight in shining armor for you! He even princess carried you outta the tunnel!"

Maxie felt his cheeks flush. How embarrassing. But from the look on Archie's face, he knew just how true it was.

"Oh really?" he said, trying to grin and bear it.

"Yeah, it was pretty awesome. C'mon Archie, tell him!"

Archie laughed, "Well, if you insist. I suppose I can tell it one more time."

"How kind of you to grace me with the opportunity," Maxie said dryly.

Still, he was curious. What kind of miracle had Archie managed to pull?

The dark skinned man leaned forward in his chair, waving his good arm.

"Well let me just start by saying, things weren't lookin' too good after ya passed out, Maxie..."

Archie painted the story for him, probably embellishing here and there, but still getting the point across. By the end of it, Maxie's mouth was slightly agap.

"The rangers and everyone had gotten there just as we busted through the rubble. They had made sure the other kids made it down and back to the lodge while May and Brendan showed them where we were. You shoulda seen their face when I walked out!"

"Sweet Arceus," he muttered, staring at the proud man.

"Right? I was pretty bad ass, 'scuse the language."

May giggled, "See dad! I told you! Isn't Archie awesome?"

Maxie cleared his throat, a plethora of emotions swirling through his head. One thing was clear though, he owed Archie his life and more.

"May, do you might stepping out of the room while I discuss something with Mr. Aogiri?"

His daughter looked up, clearly confused by her father's reaction.

"Ok..."

She crawled off the bed and walked out of the room. Archie stood, looking uncomfortable, afraid that he had said something wrong.

"Is everything ok Maxie? I mean I just-"

Maxie interrupted the other man, pulling him down and crashing their lips together. Archie was clearly surprised, but happily returned the kiss. It was rough and sloppy, at first, both fighting for dominance. Maxie bit softly at Archie's lips, trying to take over again, but the larger man kept control, his tongue moving into the warm cavern of Maxie's mouth. The red head moaned and pulled back, catching his breath.

"You are an idiot," Maxie said between breaths, "none of that should have worked the way it did. You could have died. Do you realize that, you madman?"

Archie had the gall to just grin at that, "Yeah, I know," he responded.

Maxie growled and pulled him back into a kiss. Archie worked his way onto the bed, his good arm keeping him propped up. Maxie gripped Archie's face, holding onto him as if he'd suddenly disappear and this turned out to be some sort of coma dream. Luckily, Archie wasn't going anywhere. They explored each other's mouths, forgetting to breathe every so often.

"Thank you," Maxie whispered, finally stopping long enough to speak again.

He rested his forehead against Archie's and closed his eyes, a few tears slipping out. He was so grateful, so relieved. He didn't know how to properly express it to the man who had saved his life.

"Thank you, thank you," he said a few more times.

A calloused thumb brushed away his tears, the strong hand resting on his cheek. They stayed like that for a few more moments, no words needed said.

The door swung open and they pulled apart, trying to act casual. But Maxie's face was flushed, his lips swollen.

"Dad! Are you finished yet?"

May walked back over and squeezed in between Archie and Maxie on the bed. He listened to her talk about the past few days, how she had been staying with Brendan and Archie while Maxie had been here, and how everyone in her class had been working on a giant card to bring up here to him. Maxie smiled fondly and listened to her rattle on, occasionally glancing up at Archie.

The doctor came in after an hour and ran some test. Everything looked good but, out of pre-caution, the doctors wanted him there for a few more days. If all went well after that, he'd be homebound afterwards. Visiting hours came to an end, and Archie gathered up May.

"We'll be back tomorrow, gotta make sure yer still survivin' after all."

"We'll bring Brendan too! He had to go to school today but teacher said I could come see you," May beamed.

Maxie hugged her one last time, kissing the top of her head, "Behave at Archie's house, ok?"

She nodded and hopped off the bed. Archie looked down at Maxie, unsure of what he should and shouldn't do.

"Come here," Maxie ordered, commanding the larger man to bend down.

Archie complied and was surprised when Maxie's lips brushed against his own. This kiss was quick but sweet.

"Thank you," Maxie repeated for what was probably the hundredth time.

"Ya know, when ya get better Maxie, yer gonna owe me at least four dates. Maybe five."

The red head smirked, amused, "That's it? Wow I was willing to go higher than that but if that's all you want..."

"N-No, I mean I did say at least. I mean in reality, you owe me like ten."

Maxie chuckled and waved towards, the door, "Yeah we'll see. I'm still a little sore about the whole princess carry thing."

"I'll give ya somethin' else to be sore about then," Archie grinned, winking at a beet red Maxie.

After a few more days of observation and testing, the hospital finally discharged Maxie. Archie showed up to pick him up, amused at the sight of Maxie sulking in a wheelchair.

"I do not need to go out in a wheel chair, this is ridiculous," Maxie protested as Archie wheeled him out of the hospital.

"It's their regulation! Gotta comply."

"You're enjoy this far too much," Maxie said sourly.

"Heh, yeah."

Once they crossed the Hospital threshold, Maxie set to getting up. Gratefully taking Archie's assistance, when his legs swayed slightly.

"Sure ya don't want me to just carry you?"

"Never again Archie, never again."

Archie laughed and held open the car door for Maxie, making sure he got settled in. Maxie leaned back in the seat and sighed, glad to be out of the hospital. It had been agonizing sitting the bed, feeling perfectly fine but being told he had to stay put. Archie, May and Brendan came by every afternoon, though sometimes the dark haired man would come earlier in the day, by himself, so the two could be alone. Not that they did anything too X-rated, between the constant checkups from nurses and doctors, there was no way to ever be alone for too long. Still, it had been nice. They would talk for a few hours at time, getting to know each other a little better, talking about their kids and whatever else of interest popped up. They had their differences that much had been clear after a few debates; there had even been a day where Archie had been kicked out because Maxie became so frustrated with him. But the stubborn fool came back a few hours later and somehow wrangled an apology out of Maxie (but only after Archie apologized first).

"I can't wait to get home," he said as Archie sat down next to him.

"Yeah, well, that's going to have to wait."

The red head looked over at him, eye brow raised, "What do you mean?"

"You owe me ten dates! Figured we'd hit up date number one now."

Maxie smiled; this was so sweet. But, he had another idea. He leaned over, his lips only a few inches from Archie's face.

"Or, we could just skip to what will happen between dates 4 and 10."

He could see the other man shiver, the idea obviously very appealing to him. But there was a slight hesitation.

"But, yer head…"

"Well as long as you aren't planning to slam my head against the headboard, I think we'll be ok."

"I suppose I can be careful, this time," Archie said playfully.

*******Archie was not shy about getting his hands all over Maxie when they walked into the red head's house. He had him pressed against the door the moment it shut, mouth pressed against the other man's. He wasn't wasting a moment (after all, the kids would be out of class in two hours).

"Archie, we should, ah," Maxie tried to form a coherent sentence.

Archie's lips moved down Maxie's neck, nipping at the smooth skin. He managed to leave a few marks before Maxie finally had to pry the eager man off of him.

"I doubt you want to do this here. In the doorway," he said, breathless.

"I dunno, I think it'd be pretty hot if I fucked you up against the wall."

Maxie's cheeks turned red, which just egged Archie on. The bigger man pressed against him and moved down so his lips could devour the sweet, pale skin of the red head's neck again. Maxie moaned but still fought to maintain composure.

"We can, ah, discuss harder surfaces when I'm not fresh out of a concussion, hm?"

Fair point. Archie pulled away, still eyeing the other hungrily. A cold hand slipped into his warm one as Maxie led him towards the other end of the house, presumably to the bedroom. Had Archie not been completely focused on the ass in front of him, he'd have noticed how the place was immaculate, and modern. A red and black color scheme obvious throughout the place. But Archie was not bothering to waste time admiring Maxie's décor. He had one thing in mind and that made the bedroom the only thing he was interested in.

They walked into the bedroom and for a moment everything felt surreal. Had it happened too fast? Was this attraction purely from the rush of being alive after their ordeal? What if-

Maxie's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Are you going to stand there like an idiot or should I just take care of myself?"

He blinked and realized Maxie was already partially undressed. His red turtle neck laid carefully on a desk chair and even his glasses placed on the bedside table. Reason and thought quickly left Archie's head and he was on the other in no time. He pressed him down atop the bed, hands gripping the slender hips while he kissed him deeply. Maxie's cool hands moved under his shirt, fingers moving along the dips and curves of his muscles. Archie pulled away briefly, quickly ripping off his shirt and tossing it to the floor. The red head bit his lips, staring at him with lust filled eyes.

"Heh, like what you see?" Archie said, his voice a low rumble.

"You have no idea," Maxie muttered.

With that ego boost, Archie leaned down, capturing Maxie's lips. Their kiss became more heated as skin pressed against skin. Archie's slid his hand between them, rubbing against the bulge forming in between Maxie's legs. The red head gasped at the contact, his hips thrusting up against the teasing hand. Archie palmed the growing bulge while Maxie squirmed beneath him, desperately clawing at the darker man's back. The sounds coming from Maxie stirred him so, he made quick work of taking the other's remaining clothes off.

"Oh yes," he purred, pleased at the sight beneath him.

He leaned down, dragging his tongue down Maxie's chest and stomach, the red head shuddering from the sensation. He moved up the other's cock, taking it into his mouth.

"A-Ah, fuck yes," Maxie gripped at the sheets beneath him.

He wanted to get Maxie close, but not quite there. Not yet. He moved up and down the shaft slowly, looking up at Maxie the entire time. His tongue moved up to the tip, lapping at the pre-cum that swelled up. The red head's eyes were nearly closed, his face flushed. He panted, a small whine escaping his swollen lips.

"P-Please, Archie," he begged.

Archie chuckled and pulled away. Maxie huffed at the sudden separation; that was so not what he asked for.

"Patience, babe, we're getting to the fun part," Archie teased as he pulled off his jeans, freeing his own pulsing member.

Crawling back onto the bed, he pulled Maxie up, kissing him again.

"Lube?" he muttered against Maxie's lips.

"In the drawer," the red head responded.

"Then get it," Archie demanded, his voice a low growl.

Maxie shuddered and did as he was told. Archie was pretty sure this would be a rare time he could get away with ordering the red head around. Maxie didn't strike him as the fully submissive type. But right now he was desperate, ready for relief.

"Pour it on to my cock," he ordered next.

Archie hissed as the cool substance hit his skin. Maxie grabbed his cock, giving him a few strokes, making sure he got it completely covered.

"Yes, good," Archie purred, taking the lube from the red head and doing the same to the other.

He took both of their hardened and lubricated dicks into his hand, pressing them together as he started stroking, slowly at first, then quickened his pace. Maxie grasped at him, his nails raking along the dark skinned man's back, his head thrown back in pleasure.

"Archie, Archie please," Maxie panted, "I need more!"

"More of what?" Archie purred, his thumbing brushing against the tip of Maxie's cock.

The red head gasped, "Please, I need you to...please," he begged.

"Say it Maxie, tell me what you want," Archie breathed, against Maxie's ear, sucking on the soft flesh.

"Fuck me, fuck me now!"

Maxie was at his limit, Archie could see it in his eyes and feel it as his cock twitched in the larger man's hands.

"As you wish," he let go of their cocks, moving his hand down, fingers pressing against Maxie's entrance.

He inserted one finger first, letting Maxie adjust before putting in a second one. The slender man begged for more, but Archie was taking all precaution not to hurt him. He fit in a third finger and Maxie gripped at his hair, pulling.

"Sometime today, you lout," he growled.

Archie took the cue and shifted positions. He pressed against Maxie's entrance and slowly pushed inside. He stopped, when the other cried out and waited for him to adjust to the size. Maxie bit his lip, his eyes shut tight as he took in Archie's length. Archie kissed him tenderly, trying to keep him relaxed.

"Oh god, yer so tight," he moaned, "fuck, Maxie!"

Once he was in, it took all of his remaining composure not to lose control. He felt so good with Maxie wrapped around him, he just wanted to fuck him hard into the bed. He took a breath and began to thrust slowly, until Maxie became more comfortable.

"Faster," Maxie said breathlessly, wrapping his legs around Archie, trying to bring the bigger man even closer.

It was all the encouragement Archie needed. He moved his hands down to Maxie's hips, gripping him tightly as he thrust in and out.

He was close. His reached for Maxie's cock, pumping him a few times before he felt him tense up. He thrust in deeper and Maxie arched his back, crying out and coming in Archie's hand. Archie rode out his own orgasm, pulling Maxie against him, kissing him. Maxie tangled his fingers in Archie's wild hair, his hips moving with the other.

Archie pulled out and laid beside the other, pulling him into an embrace. He could feel the grimace when Maxie realized how sticky he was and chuckled.

"It ain't meant to be clean, ya know," he commented, which earned him an elbow in his side.

He laughed and nuzzled against the messy red locks.

They had barely caught their breath when the phone rang.

Maxie groaned, "You have got to be kidding me."

"Hey, at least whoever it is waited until I finished having my way with ya, eh?"

"I suppose there is that..."

Maxie reached over to the side table, wincing as his sore muscles protested.

"Hello? ...Yes. I see. Of course. I'll be there shortly. Thank you."

Archie tilted his head, confused why Maxie would be agreeing to go anywhere. He still had more planned.

Maxie sighed, "That was the school, May is in the nurse's office and needs to be picked up."

"Ah, better get you cleaned up then, hm?"

"Archie we don't have time..."

"I promise, I'll behave. But you definitely want to clean yourself up."

Archie hopped off the bed and scooped Maxie into his arms.

"Archie!" Maxie protested.

The dark haired man just laughed and carried Maxie to the master suite bathroom.

They brought May and Brendan both back to Maxie's home after making it to the school. Both the kids had ended up in the nurse's office and the nurse was relieved that Archie showed up with Maxie to pick up May. Maxie set up the guest room for Brendan and Archie helped put him to bed. Once the two were properly medicated and asleep, the adults slumped down on the couch together. Maxie curled up against Archie, comfortable and content. This was the start of their little domestic bliss. They would have their ups and downs, but everything would turn out just fine because they had each other and two kids who thought the world of their dads.


End file.
